As if I were a marionette and he held my strings, I lifted the goblet and drank.
My snared mind wouldn’t pass the message along to the rest of me. I just kept looking at him, doe eyed. I think I even twirled a lock of my red hair.
He couldn’treallybe Bluebeard, could he? I’d already met the captain, a different man, more wiry in build than this. This one was twice as handsome and at least as strong, his beard well-kept like a man of the northern isles would. He was the kind of man they’d love back home, even if he only had a couple daggers on him and was dressed in uselessly fine clothes. Minus the jacket. Or ashirt.
He leaned over me, his broad chest and the silk waistcoat over it taking up the whole of my view. “I wonder if you’ll be the one.”
“Of course I’m the one.” Now it was my turn to scoff.
He raised his scarred brow. “And what one is that? Do you even know?”
“You know.“ I smiled like a simpering fool. “Theonefor you.”
He withdrew sharply, sucking in a breath as though I’d stabbed him. “I’ll settle for the one who can break the curse.”
My smile broadened. “Curses are my specialty!”
His lip curled. “You have a deeply disturbing smile.”
I canted my head, fluttering my lashes. “Why, thank you.”
“It wasn’t a compliment.”
“Of course it is. I aim to be terrifying. It’s an important part of what I do.”
“Which is what? Cursing infants in their cradles? Not even pirates go after babes in arms. You just might be cold enough for the job.” He ran a hand down his beard. “I’m more interested in whether you canremovecurses.”
“Remove them, move them, improve them, I know curses like I know my own name.” I extended my hand, palm down, for him to take. “I’m Sofie, by the way.”
He stared at my hand a moment, then took it as if I were handing him a cursed jewel. He made no move to kiss it, though I rather wondered what his beard would feel like on my skin. He was just about the handsomest man I’d ever—
Wake up, you fool! You need to get up and fight!
My brow furrowed, unsure what to make of my own mind.
“Jax,” the pirate introduced himself, still holding my hand. As if this was very inconvenient for him, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring. A peculiar, swirling stone was set in the gold band. “Your”—he choked on the word—“husband.”
“Of course,” I said, still smiling. My eyes widened. “Oh! I suppose that makes me your wife.”
“For now,” he said.
“Oh, no. For always. Forever, and ever…”
“Nothing lasts forever, my dear. Least of all my wives.”
In the span of a breath, he downed the last of his wine, slammed the goblet onto the table with such force I thought itwould break, and stalked out of my dream-like field of vision. I heard the door fly open.
“It’s done,” he said.
The siren was there, a note of protest in her enchanting voice. “But don’t you want Violet to—”
“The ring’s on her finger and we shared a celebratory glass of wine. According to the laws of the sea, that’s enough.” Though his voice lowered, I could still hear him. “That’splenty.”
And then the three lady pirates were back, lifting me up from my chair before I could tumble over again. I was feeling awfully dizzy…
“Congratulations,” one said, sounding not at all like my impromptu marriage was a good thing.
Woozy from the mix of magic and wine. I continued to walk with the pirates, tottering obediently towards the captain’s bed before collapsing onto the feather-topped ropes.
